


Barely Hungry

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Community: fma_fic_contest, Gen, Missing Scene, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 16:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3141440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: They're all hungry. Takes place after Ed heals up, but before they meet up with Greeling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Barely Hungry

“We’re hungry,” Lion King whined as they tromped along the deer trail. 

“Good luck catching anything with the racket you’re making.” Edward couldn’t believe the chimerǣ. Part animal, and they still crashed through the woods like - like humans. Al could move quieter than they could! 

“Hey, kid, you’re so high and mighty, you should catch us something.” 

Edward showed his teeth. “Right.” But his stomach growled noisily enough that the other two heard it. Lion King and Donkey Kong both grinned. Edward shot an obscene gesture at the men as he kept walking. He tried to remind his stomach that now was not the time to be remembering the smell of Winry’s apple pie, or the taste of old hag’s stew, or Mrs. Hughes’ cooking. Like his gut was paying any attention. Being on the run and wanted by the military sucked. He couldn’t even sneak into a town and flash his watch; when the call was made to verify his military account, his trail would heat up like a fox running right in front of the hounds. And without any money, it meant gleaning from fields and forest and fishing and trapping – and all of it took time, effort, and energy. Not to mention, feeding two hulking men wasn’t like when Alphonse and he were living on that island. They hadn’t eaten nearly as much. Edward didn’t like to think much of that time, either. At this point, he might be reduced to eating ants again. 

He caught sight of a flash of purple-blue. “Blueberries!” Yeah, there weren’t as many as there’d be during the season, and these were wizened from the cold, but they were edible, and there were a lot more of them than Edward would expect. He grabbed a handful and shoved them into his mouth, trying to keep from moaning in delight. The cold snap made the berries sweeter and chewier than they’d normally be.

“Leave some for us, kid!” Donkey Kong bumped him aside, Lion King jostling him, too. 

Edward started to fuss, but the growl cut him short. “Shit. Back up. Fast.” 

“What is it?” 

“That’s a,” the words died in his throat as the bear rose up out of the other side of the bushes, its wet nose twitching in the cold wind. 

“Fuck!” Edward slapped his hands together and dropped them to the ground, throwing up an earthen wall to enclose the bear. A squall of fear caught his attention, and he whipped around, seeing a pair of cubs just as the bear roared. “Run! That wall won’t hold her long!” he shouted, and took off, hoping the others would stick close. 

X X X

It was close to midnight by his pocket watch, and Edward tried to ignore his stomach growling. Down below the rocky protuberance he’d transmuted for the three of them, the mother bear prowled, throwing her weight against the pillar again, trying to knock them down. 

“We’re hungry,” Donkey Kong whined. 

Edward growled, “Oh, shut up.”


End file.
